Tessera
Folgen

Chapps

@chapps.bsky.social

Former tech drone, living in L.A. I now create digital reconstructions of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. No, really. 🏳️‍🌈 Flickr account (museum photos, mainly, free to use and high res): https://www.flickr.com/photos/125386285@N02/

7291 Posts4647 Follower378 Folgt
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 24h ago

Most Pompeiians lived in multi-story dwellings without kitchens and got their food at thermopolia, essentially taverns with ready-made food and wine. There is a fine fresco and colored plaster lararium - shrine - above the counter at the thermopolium of Lucius Vetutius Placidus.🏺 1/ 📸 me

This beautifully painted lararium - household shrine - is found in the thermopolium of Lucius Vetutius Placidus. Since most Pompeiians lived in multi-story dwellings without kitchens, these hot food and drink establishments were critical, where citizens could purchase sustenance and consume it there, or take it home. This lararium depicts two Lares - protective spirits of the home (and business, it seems) - pouring wine from rhytons; a veiled Genius (protector of the home) in the middle, sacrificing to the gods and holding a cornucopia, symbol of abundance; the god of trade, Mercury, on the left, holding his caduceus and a bag of coins, which would bring success and abundance to the business; and finally the god Dionysus on the right, also a symbol of abundance in this establishment which served wine. Notably, stucco is used to create the small shrine, which is in the shape of a temple, including two Corinthian columns and a pediment. Stucco acanthus vines and volutes appear above the temple, and two painted agatha daemons (which appear as crested snakes) are facing a large egg on an altar, below. A 3 kg (6.6 lb) hoard of coins was found in one of the terracotta jars set into the counter, probably the last daily profits of the establishment. House and thermopolium of Vetutius Placidus, Pompeii (I, 8.8)
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 4d ago

In honor of The Odyssey, here’s an alabaster #Etruscan cinerary urn with the scene from the epic where Odysseus is tied to his ship’s mast so that he might hear the song of the Sirens. Oddly, the Sirens here don’t have birds’ bodies/legs, but appear as women playing musical instruments. 🏺 1/ 📸 me

Alabaster cinerary urn depicting Odysseus and the Sirens. Its contents originally included two containers of cremated human remains and samples of walnut, shell, grass, glass, and charcoal. In this scene, Odysseus's ship draws near to the sirens, who are shown in fully female form, each playing a different musical instrument. Odysseus seems to be struggling to free himself while one of the crew adjusts his ropes. Etruscan, from Volterra, 2nd century BCE. British Museum (1849,1201.2)
Dr Pat Witts@wittspat.bsky.social · 5d ago

Early for #MosaicMonday. Arguably Neptune to whom Oceanus's claws have been added, for reasons in open access article here: dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/jmr/a...

Neptune and Oceanus in Romano-British Mosaics: A Special Case?

Journal of Mosaic Research | Issue: 18

dergipark.org.tr

Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 6d ago

This wonderfully wonky mosaic from Withington Roman Villa in Gloucestershire, England, depicts a sea deity displaying attributes of both Oceanus and Neptune. He holds a trident, and has crustacean claws at his temples, with two dolphins emerging from his mouth. 🏺 1/ 300-400 CE. #BritishMuseum 📸 me

Irregular rectangle floor mosaic in red, orange, dark grey, and ecru-colored tesserae, framed by a band of wave pattern and a single fillet enclosing an aquatic scene flanked by sparsely leaved trees with hollow bases. Off-center is the head and upper torso of Oceanus/Neptune with a straggling beard, a convoluted mustache and three sets of lobster claws at each temple. His trident is placed obliquely across his body. His torso is truncated by a band of small checkers, which is not quite parallel to the border. Dolphins emerge from either side of his mouth, shaded predominantly white but with some shading in grey and have red fins and streamers. Below them are two more dolphins swimming in the opposite direction, smaller than those above but with red three-fluked tails. In the space above the dolphins and flanking Oceanus/Neptune are two simple 8-petalled flowers; the space on the northern side is filled by two sea-creatures both with outstretched forelegs and coiled tails; the upper one has bold spots on a buff body to identify it as a sea-leopard, and the other is perhaps a Capricorn (a sea-goat).
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 5d ago

This terracotta kantharos from the #MetMuseum is one of my favorites. The parade of horsemen is beautifully and confidently painted; all of the men ride bareback, of course (6th c. BCE - no saddles or stirrups). But seated with their legs up and forward seems unstable. 🤔 🏺 1/ 📸 me

This Boeotian kantharos (footed double-handled drinking cup) has a procession of black-figure horsemen in a band encircling the raw terracotta lip. Note how the men sit on the horses without the aid of stirrups or saddles - bareback, but with the aid of reins. Yet they sit over the shoulders of the horses, with their legs elevated and forward. As someone who's ridden horses, this seems unstable - any sudden movement or acceleration would cause them to fall over backwards. Purely an artistic convention? Greek, Boeotian ca. 550 BCE. Met Museum, New York (06.1021.28)
Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · 6d ago

The stunning portrait depicts a daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. It was unearthed in Akhetaten/Tell el-Amarna. This city was established by Pharaoh Akhenaten as a new capital. Dating around 1345 BC. On display at Neues Museum Berlin 📷 me 🏺 AncientEgyptBluesky #Egypt

A finely sculpted head of a woman, carved from reddish-brown stone. The figure features a smooth, bald scalp, elegantly shaped lips, and symmetrical facial contours. Both the eyes and the eyebrows are hollow, intended for inlays that are now missing. The portrait is displayed on a light stone pedestal within a museum glass case, set against a plain, neutral background.
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 6d ago

This wonderfully wonky mosaic from Withington Roman Villa in Gloucestershire, England, depicts a sea deity displaying attributes of both Oceanus and Neptune. He holds a trident, and has crustacean claws at his temples, with two dolphins emerging from his mouth. 🏺 1/ 300-400 CE. #BritishMuseum 📸 me

Irregular rectangle floor mosaic in red, orange, dark grey, and ecru-colored tesserae, framed by a band of wave pattern and a single fillet enclosing an aquatic scene flanked by sparsely leaved trees with hollow bases. Off-center is the head and upper torso of Oceanus/Neptune with a straggling beard, a convoluted mustache and three sets of lobster claws at each temple. His trident is placed obliquely across his body. His torso is truncated by a band of small checkers, which is not quite parallel to the border. Dolphins emerge from either side of his mouth, shaded predominantly white but with some shading in grey and have red fins and streamers. Below them are two more dolphins swimming in the opposite direction, smaller than those above but with red three-fluked tails. In the space above the dolphins and flanking Oceanus/Neptune are two simple 8-petalled flowers; the space on the northern side is filled by two sea-creatures both with outstretched forelegs and coiled tails; the upper one has bold spots on a buff body to identify it as a sea-leopard, and the other is perhaps a Capricorn (a sea-goat).
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · last wk.

With the theft of the golden torc of the Lady of Vix this week, I was reviewing images of the gigantic bronze Vix krater. It has these wonderful volute handles with fierce Gorgoneia, seen below. A much smaller version can be seen in the #BritishMuseum, right. 🏺 1/ 📸 M. du Pays Châtillonnais, me

Closeup of one of the volute handles of the bronze krater from the Lady of Vix's tomb. A masterpiece of Greek art, the Gorgon that forms the handle has long plaited braids that fall over her chest, which seems to be covered in a traditional aegis. Her arms are supported by two snakes, her mouth is open and a tongue sticks out from between her fangs. A gorgeous relief can be seen around the neck of the krater behind the handle. Musée du Pays ChâtillonnaisBronze handle from a volute krater, on a much smaller scale and less detailed than the one from Vix. However, they are very similar. This one also has a gorgoneion with plaited hair, and a fierce fanged face, but here she seems to lift her skirt, out of which - instead of legs - emerge two large snakes that spread out, their heads turned towards the viewer. Western Greek, possibly made in Taranto, Puglia, Italy, ca. 500 BCE. British Museum (1873,0820.99)
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · last wk.

Bit of a mystery that I'm going to throw out to the crowd today. This black-glaze guttus (flask) has a relief medallion with a figure in a chiton, sitting on what looks like an altar. This is a trope from Greek theater, the panicked slave fleeing to an altar, asking for protection ... 🏺 1/ 📸 me

Shiny black-glaze guttus, a type of flattened round flask - very like a terracotta lamp - with a ring handle on the right side, and a flared pouring spout at the 6-o'clock position. On the stamped relief medallion in the center is a figure - male or female - sitting on what looks like an altar, 3/4 view. He or she appears to have their hands crossed, with the left hand across the right leg, holding a dangling object of some kind. The right hand may be holding another upright object. Greek, Apulian, late 4th century BCE. At the Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 2w ago

Very nice to see that #HistoryIn3D has added the right kind of #polychromy to this stunning theater. Pompey got away with building a permanent theater - forbidden in Rome - by adding the temple of Venus Victrix at the top, making it a sacred site (and building outside the pomerium). 🏺

Lindsay Powell FRHistS@lindsaypowell.bsky.social · 2w ago

Temple of Venus Victrix and the spectator seats (cavea) of the Theatre of Pompey (Theatrum Pompei) in Rome in all its original splendour, c. 55 BC! Digital reconstruction by History In 3D. For #RomanSiteSaturday. #AncientBluesky

Temple of Venus Victrix and the spectator seats (cavea) of the Theatre of Pompey (Theatrum Pompei) in Rome in all its original splendour, c. 55 BC! Digital reconstruction by History In 3D. For #RomanSiteSaturday.
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 2w ago

These three bucchero figurines were among the several that were inserted into the ground around a bronze funerary bed in an elite #Etruscan tomb. They are female mourners, with three formalized gestures shown below. 🏺 1/ Regolini-Galassi Tomb, late 7th c. BCE (Cerveteri). #MuseiVaticani. 📸 me

Thirty-three statuettes in <i>bucchero</i> clay were found in the richly appointed Regolini-Galassi Tomb (Caere, modern Cerveteri), all of which are without feet so they could be inserted into the ground and arranged along the three sides of the bronze bed in the antechamber; some would perhaps have been arranged in the cell at the right hand side in two rows at the sides of the urn. They represent female figures in various poses, almost as if to suggest a sequence of movements in the ritual gestures of mourning that would have taken place during the display of the body. In the first group (represented by the center figure here), both of the hands are held below the chin; in the second group (the third figure, right, in the photo), the left hand is held under the chin and the other on the abdomen; in the third group (the first on the left in the photo) the position is inverted; and in the fourth group, a hand rests on the right cheek, while the other lies towards the lower part of the abdomen. The figures all wear a long tunic decorated with geometric motifs, held with a belt. The long hair is curled on the head and worn in braids which lie along the back down to the level of the legs. Etruscan, Caere (mod. Cerveteri), Sorbo necropolis, Regolini-Galassi Tomb, ca. 675-650 BCE. Terracotta, bucchero (glossy black, almost metallic finish). Each figure is roughly 4 inches tall. Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museum), Museo Gregoriano Etrusco (20374, 20381, 20398).
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 2w ago

Winging our way to ancient Peru, where this pair of ear ornaments were made by the Moche, ca. 400-700 CE. They depict anthropomorphized winged runners, perhaps hawks, created with a mosaic technique using gold, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, spondylus shell, and sodalite. 🏺 😍 #MetMuseum 📸 me

This ear ornament, one of a pair, depicts a winged runner clutching a small cloth bag. Although it has been suggested that this figure may represent a human in a bird costume, it is more likely to portray an anthropomorphized bird, perhaps a hawk. The Moche (also known as the Mochicas) flourished on Peru’s North Coast from 200-850 CE, centuries before the rise of the Inca. Over the course of some six centuries they built thriving regional centers from the Nepeña River Valley in the south to perhaps as far north as the Piura River, near the modern border with Ecuador, developing coastal deserts into rich farmlands and drawing upon the abundant maritime resources of the Pacific Ocean’s Humboldt Current. Although the Moche never formed a single centralized political entity, they shared unifying cultural traits such as religious practices. The central round ornament is surrounded by a frame of hollow gold spheres. The ornament is mosaic-style, with trapezoidal green turquoise making up the background, and a combination of blue and dark green turquoise composing the bird-man. The figure is running, holding a small bag forward in his left hand, made of mother-of-pearl. His bracelets and loincloth (or short skirt) are made of bright red spondylus shell. The bird's face is executed in dark blue turquoise, with eyes and beak sheathed in gold. A chin strap fastens an elaborate tall trapezoidal headdress, itself bearing a projecting animal head. The boots on his feet are picked out in royal blue sodalite. This ear ornament, one of a pair, depicts a winged runner clutching a small cloth bag. Although it has been suggested that this figure may represent a human in a bird costume, it is more likely to portray an anthropomorphized bird, perhaps a hawk. The Moche (also known as the Mochicas) flourished on Peru’s North Coast from 200-850 CE, centuries before the rise of the Inca. Over the course of some six centuries they built thriving regional centers from the Nepeña River Valley in the south to perhaps as far north as the Piura River, near the modern border with Ecuador, developing coastal deserts into rich farmlands and drawing upon the abundant maritime resources of the Pacific Ocean’s Humboldt Current. Although the Moche never formed a single centralized political entity, they shared unifying cultural traits such as religious practices. The central round ornament is surrounded by a frame of hollow gold spheres. The ornament is mosaic-style, with trapezoidal green turquoise making up the background, and a combination of blue and dark green turquoise composing the bird-man. The figure is running, holding a small bag forward in his left hand, made of mother-of-pearl. His bracelets and loincloth (or short skirt) are made of bright red spondylus shell. The bird's face is executed in dark blue turquoise, with eyes and beak sheathed in gold. A chin strap fastens an elaborate tall trapezoidal headdress, itself bearing a projecting animal head. The boots on his feet are picked out in royal blue sodalite.
Dr Sophie Hay@pompei79.bsky.social · 2w ago

What an immense joy and satisfaction to see the fragments of the ceiling fresco from Region IX excavations reassembled. The vibrant colours and the intricate details of the highest quality are mesmerising. Currently on display in the Large Palaestra, #Pompeii

Detail of a mask set on a garlandPart of the still life garland with mask and geometric borders framing a personification of SpringDetail of Spring
Spencer McDaniel@spencermcdaniel.bsky.social · 2w ago

I have a master's degree in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, I've studied the 'Odyssey' in Ancient Greek, and I've been writing about the ancient world for over a decade. This is my exhaustive review of Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'. #Odyssey #classics talesoftimesforgotten.com/2026/07/23/a...

An Ancient Historian's Breakdown of Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' - Tales of Times Forgotten

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is perhaps the most highly anticipated new film of the 2020s. It has already received near-universal acclaim from film critics and earned more at the box office in its ...

talesoftimesforgotten.com

Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 2w ago

Folks, there's 'ancient iridescence' and there's ... this. Elton John, if he were an ancient Roman footed flask. Made in the Eastern Mediterranean (Levant; Alexandria, Egypt; Syria-Palestine), ca. 3rd-4th c. CE. #ancientbluesky 🏺 1/ Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Legion of Honor. 📸 me

A tall free-blown footed glass flask with astonishingly colorful iridescence. The body is bulbous, and it tapers up to a long, thin neck with a flaring mouth at the top. The foot is like a modern wine glass, a disk, but with a very short stem. The mottled colors range from lava oranges and reds, to canary yellow, bright green, azure blue, and dark blue.
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 2w ago

Another episode of 'seeing double'. In both the votive relief on the left, and the gorgeous sard sealstone on the right, a seated physician - dressed in a Greek manner, as a philosopher in a himation - is examining a child (or slave) with a distended belly.🏺 1/ #ancientbluesky 📸 me

Marble relief depicting a bearded older physician dressed as a Greek philosopher, his himation wrapped around his body and over one shoulder, seated on a folding stool and examining a naked child or slave (adult slaves were depicted as small) with a distended belly. A dedicatory inscription - which I'll link to in the next post - is at the bottom. Roman, from Athens, Greece, 2nd century CE (during Roman rule). British MuseumLarge horizontally transparent orangish-red oval sard sealstone engraved with a medical examination. A doctor rests one hand on the swollen stomach of a standing youth. On the far left stands Asclepius - the ancient Greek god of medicine and healing - leaning on a serpent-entwined staff, known as the Rod of Asclepius (Asklepios). Roman, 1st-2nd century CE. British Museum, London (1912,0311.1)
UCL Archaeology South-East@archsoutheast.bsky.social · 4w ago

Stay tuned for spotlights on individual objects and how our conservator Alastair Threlfall custom made all the mounts and supports for display 😍 More information about the discovery www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...

High-status Iron Age burials reveal early links to Roman Empire

A large cemetery containing the lavishly adorned remains of high-status individuals dating from around 2,000 years ago has been uncovered by Archaeology South-East (UCL Institute of Archaeology).

ucl.ac.uk

Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 2w ago

This recently uncovered fresco in #Pompeii's 'Black Room' depicts the Trojan princess Kassandra and the god Apollo. Kassandra bargained with the god for prophetic powers, but refused to give herself to him, and he cursed her so that her prophesies would never be believed, dooming Troy. 🏺 1/ 📸 me

Pompeii’s newly uncovered Black Room, a 15 meter long, six meter wide banqueting triclinium (dining room), is decorated with Third Style fresco characters and subjects inspired by the Trojan War. Here we have large figures of a heroically nude god Apollo, wearing a laurel wreath on his head and leaning on his lyre. He has just punished the miserable-looking princess of Troy, Kassandra, with a curse, meaning that the prophesying powers that he gifted her with would never be believed (because she went back on her promise to give herself to him if he gave her those powers). She sits on the omphalos, the stone from Delphi - the seat of Apollo’s Pythia, the priestess who could prophesy the future.
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 2w ago

A tale of two coins ... At first glance, they look very similar. But two different deities are represented on these silver decadrachm coins of the Greek colony of Syracuse in Sicily. They were created and signed by two different artists. 🏺 1/ Both 405-390 BCE. 📸 me

Large silver decadrachm coin with the head of a female deity (more revealed in the next post in the thread), facing right, her curly hair floating about her, bound by an ampyx (wide headband) and a sakkos (hairnet). She also wears a necklace with round beads, perhaps pearls. Her head is surrounded by dolphins, and two inscriptions appear: in the upper right is the Greek word Syracosion, meaning 'of the people of Syracuse', and written on the dolphin under the woman's neck is written the name of the artist, Kimon.A very different style to this silver decadrachm, although they look superficially similar. It also has the head of a female deity, facing left, surrounded by four dolphins. The face and hair of this portrait seem more idealized, and we can see an ear of corn fashioned into a wreath around her head. She also has a larger amphora earring, with slim pendant bars on either side. The name of the artist can be seen engraved at the bottom, below the lowermost dolphin: Euainetos.
Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 3w ago

Objects in elite #Etruscan households were deliberately marked for the tomb, ensuring they would not be used by the living. Here, the Etruscan word 'śuthina' ('for the tomb') has been inscribed on the forehead of this remarkable bronze head vase. 🏺 1/ Orvieto, 225-175 BCE (Musée du Louvre). 📸 me

Objects used by men and women in households of status and wealth were deliberately marked for the tomb, ensuring that they could not be used by the living. Here, the Etruscan word śuthina (for the tomb), has been inscribed on the forehead of this vase's female head, which made certain that the vessel was destined for the tomb of the owner. The face is almost classical, but with eyes and hairstyle that look typically Etruscan. Her lips are slightly parted, and her hair's topknot is removable, enabling it to function as a vase for liquids (perhaps wine or olive oil for the afterlife). Etruscan, Orvieto (Velzna) (?), found in Sovana (Soana) (?), ca. 225-175 BCE. 6 1/4 x 3 1/2 in. (16 x 9 cm) 3.1 lbs. (1415 g) Musée du Louvre (MNC 706; Br 2949) ----- Photographed at the exhibition 'The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy' mounted at the Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
Łukasz Sokołowski@sokolowskilukasz.bsky.social · 3w ago

𝟏/𝟓 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 #𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐲𝐫𝐚 Among the most remarkable paintings in the Tomb of the Three Brothers are two funerary portraits displayed inside circular roundels (𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖). Nearly 2,000 years later, they still look down on visitors from the walls of the main burial chamber. #FrescoFriday 🏺 🔽

Bild
Łukasz Sokołowski@sokolowskilukasz.bsky.social · 2mo ago

1. A striking image in the Tomb of the Three Brothers at Palmyra shows a richly dressed woman carrying a child. At 1.67 m tall, the figure is larger than most other painted figures in the tomb and was likely intended as a funerary portrait 🏺

Łukasz Sokołowski@sokolowskilukasz.bsky.social · 2mo ago

1. A striking image in the Tomb of the Three Brothers at Palmyra shows a richly dressed woman carrying a child. At 1.67 m tall, the figure is larger than most other painted figures in the tomb and was likely intended as a funerary portrait 🏺

Bild
Łukasz Sokołowski@sokolowskilukasz.bsky.social · 6mo ago

In the lunette of the vault a mythological scene: Odysseus discovers Achilles among the daughters of Lycomedes on Skyros. A symbolic call to leave domestic safety and embrace a warrior’s fate resonant in frontier #Palmyra during the Persian wars c. 150–250 CE #FrescoFriday #ancientbluesky 🏺

Archaeology News Online Magazine@archaeologynews.bsky.social · 3w ago

Italy has placed one of the best surviving works of Etruscan art on public display after bringing the famous François Tomb frescoes into state ownership. The painted panels, created between 340 and 320 BCE, now... More info: archaeologymag.com/2026/07/ital...

Italy returns 2,300-year-old François Tomb frescoes to the public after more than a century | Archaeology News Online Magazine

Italy returns the 2,300-year-old François Tomb frescoes to the public, placing a masterpiece of Etruscan art on display in Rome.

archaeologymag.com